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Wednesday 7 March 2006

LAND ACCESS REPORT WELCOMED AS A GOOD START

Fish & Game New Zealand welcomes the report released today as a good start to completion of the Queen’s Chain.

“The report concludes that the aim is for New Zealanders to have fair and reasonable access on foot to and along the coastline and rivers, around lakes and to public land,” said Neil Deans, Fish & Game New Zealand spokesperson. “The high level principles that walking access should be ‘free, certain, enduring and practical’ are strongly supported. The recommendations to form an ‘Access Commission’, to map and publish existing access rights, and to work through the more difficult issues in due course are all important and positive steps towards the completion of the Queens Chain, and are welcomed. The Government and the Panel are to be congratulated for their recognition that the maintenance and enhancement of public access to and along lakes and rivers, to waters, wildlife and fisheries and to public land is a matter of national importance.”

“The issues are complex and the Panel has completed a comprehensive review and analysis of public access. With a long-term objective of revitalizing traditional goodwill, the report essentially promotes incremental, voluntary and negotiated resolution of access issues.”

“It is clear that a voluntary approach based on developing goodwill is sensible and desirable, has worked in many cases, and is certainly the preferred option. However, where public access is unreasonably denied, there must be mechanisms that ensure a fair, reasonable and enduring solution, according to the principles stated in the report.

“The Panel’s report still has some way to go, however, to align its recommendations with the high principles that the Panel itself identified. The report accepts that ‘Landholders should not unreasonably deny access to public natural resources and public lands.’ A purely voluntary response by landowners, however, may not be sufficient to ensure completion of the Queen’s Chain, which is both the Government’s stated policy and was required of the Access Panel in making its recommendations. In cases where landowners refuse to negotiate, there must be some way to reasonably resolve the public and private property rights. The Government needs to provide for a mechanism to make this happen, if necessary.

“The report is a good start, and Fish & Game New Zealand urges the Government to maintain the momentum and address those situations where landowners might consider unreasonably denying public access to public land or resources.”

For further information contact Neil Deans on 0274 394 381.